Get a sneak preview of SMU’s new Arnold Dining Commons as 2014 summer dining hours kick in

What’s for lunch? As SMU outlets begin summer hours, the campus community will have an opportunity to experience the new Anita and Truman Arnold Dining Commons before the facility opens for the 2014-15 academic year.

The Arnold Dining Commons opens to the public – including SMU’s summer sport and cheer camps – at lunchtime on Tuesday, May 27. The Commons will accept all forms of payment available at other University dining outlets, including meal plans and Pony Express Cash, during its “soft launch” period from May to August.

Summer operations will be geared toward service for thousands of conference attendees, says Julie Wiksten, associate vice president for campus services. The summer meal service “will be an opportunity for the SMU community to get an advance look at these new facilities and to experience them first-hand during the summer sessions.”

SMU Dining will introduce The Fresh Food Company at Arnold Dining Commons when students return for the Fall 2014 term. The menu focuses on dishes made to order in front of guests, prepared with fresh ingredients, in an atmosphere reminiscent of an open marketplace. The concept encourages flexibility and creativity in the dining room’s daily offerings, Wiksten says.

Continuing the freshness theme, two campus outlets will receive major upgrades during summer 2014. RFoC at Lee, also known as “Umph,” will close during the summer sessions for an extensive remodeling (including a renovated faculty/staff dining room).

In addition, Mac’s Place in McElvaney Hall, which closed temporarily in March, will reopen in the fall with an upgraded grill, an outdoor entrance with patio seating, and an expanded convenience store.

Some other University food stops will be open for business during limited hours in the 2014 May Term and Summer Sessions. Check the links below for outlets, days and times: